Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-02-02
From the Interior.
THAT MORTGAGE
BY SUSAN TEALL PERRY.

It was the time for spring cleaning.
Mrs. Brewster had gone into the best
room to look about and see what
wanted doing. AS she threw open the
blinds, she heard O. robin in the maple
tree. Itwas good sign, her grandmoth-
er used to say to have g. robin come
and build her nest before ones door.
Tt had been q long winter, one OF the
most severe that the New England in
habitants had seen for years, and the
bright sunshine was well appreciated.
IL it had not been for that mortgage,
how happy Mrs. Brewster would have
been that morning. But as she looked
out of the window upon the resurrect-
ing earth, she exclaimed: go, dear,
there is always omething to him
der the full enjoyment of anything in
this world; at least some folks are al
ways weighed down with burdens they
cannot lift OFF, After making thor
ough survey of the room, she passed
into the large farm-kitchen.
81 brought you a letter, Mis- Brew
ster. thought as how [ was down
to the village, might as well bring up
yourn and Mr.. Hull's folks mail. It's
such hurrying times now that farmers
have all they can do to home" go,
it's you, Mr.. Hawkins!" Mrs. Brew
ster exclaimed, as she looked up and
saw the gray-haired farmer standing
in the door, with spring sunshine fall
ing all about him. "A pleasant day,
isn't it? Thank you for bringing the
letter." eyes, Mis- Brewster, it's as
warm as summer. Our wimmen folks
wanted I should put some garden seed
in to-day, but | told 'em that lone
swallow doesn't make a summer
Springs deceitful critter, coquet-
tish sort of gal. When you think
you've got her, she hain't there
Mr.. Hawkins passed out of the door
laughing heartily at his own wit.
Mrs. Brewster tore open the
envelope. Its from Marietta,
she said and sitting down in
the first chair she could find, read
the letter. There's plenty of good
times 10 the world, but like Glory Nc
Quirk, I'm never in 'em.' Marietta
and her folks are going to the sea-
shore for the summer. That's the
reason she hasn't written before.
She's had a. dressmaker in the house
for whole month, making dresses
for her and the girls. | declare, Mar
iette does have good time"
She was talking to her husband,
who sat by the kitchen stove mending
q harness. He was one of those men
who never make repairs until just as
they are absolutely needed. ST sup
pose, then, they are well at Mariette's"
he remarked, by way of a reioinder.
"You know Marietta never thinks she
enjoys very good heaith," his wife
spoke up in quick, energetic tone of
voice. s'It's fortunate for her that
she doesn't have to work as I do; if
she did she would have been in her
grave long ago. Father wasn't over
and above pleased with the match,
but you can never tell how men are
going to turn out. Some of them are
successes. but more of them are
failures"
After she had finished speaking, she
climbed upon chair in the buttery
and began her house-c cleaning in the
descending scale, reaching up to clean
off the topmost shelf. The door was
partly open. ard from her eyrie in the
buttery her husband heard her voice
above the chatter of dishes and pans.
ST declare, Pm perfectly discouraged.
It's q terrible strain on q woman to
be the wheel-horse and do more than
her share of the hauling and pulling.
What are we going to do about the
mortgage, if | don't take those city
boarders again t2is summer"
Her husband kept on mending the
broken strap, making no reply; but
when his wife got down to the middle
shelf, she stepped from the chair, and
standing beside her husband, said:
FLuman Brewster, what are we going
to do about that mortgage? You
know it will be foreclosed this fall if
we don't pay it up" There's time
enough, Mary Ann; don't worry so;
seven months yet, and by that time
something will surely turn up"
"That's what you always say, Luman,
but should think by this time you
would find out that things don't turn
up, unless we 60 TO work and make
them" The unfinished harness fell in
sections on the kitchen floor, as Mr..
Brewster arose from his chair, after
he had finished speaking But he
gathered the pieces together, and went
out to the barn; Mary Ann was in,
what he mentally designated, zone of
her tantrums." He always took